Shannen Doherty

By David Bianculli and David Bianculli,Special to The Sun | September 9, 1994

Two days ago, Shannen Doherty was missing from "Beverly Hills, 90210," but tonight she makes a roaring comeback as a good girl gone bad, and on the lam, in "Jailbreakers," Showtime's newest neo-retro "Rebel Highway" made-for-tv movie. Otherwise, the night is dominated by the three Rs: reruns, reruns, reruns.* "M.A.N.T.I.S." (8 p.m.-9 p.m., Channel 45) -- Perhaps it's time to start praying, "M.A.N.T.I.S." the first episode, which premiered two weeks ago, earned a 14 share of the available audience and was third in its time slot.

With the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight. Directed by Andrew Stanton. Walt Disney Video. $29.95, Blu-ray $35.95 **** Few moviegoing experiences in recent memory are more sublime than the first half of Wall-E, an exercise in cinemagic from Pixar. This tale of an automated trash compactor, abandoned on a garbage-choked Earth with only a cockroach and a VHS tape of Hello Dolly! to keep him company, mixes childlike wonder with human frailty in a tale of love, loneliness and heroism that successfully plays to all audiences, ages 8 months to 80 years.

By David Bianculli and David Bianculli,Contributing Writer | October 2, 1993

It's Saturday night, which means the best variety comes courtesy of cable -- although tonight's "Saturday Night Live" is a pop-culture must-see this week.* "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (8-9 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- The first two of CBS's Saturday series serve up noteworthy guest stars tonight. On "Dr. Quinn," the guest star is Barbara Babcock, who set aflame the early episodes of "Hill Street Blues" Grace Gardner. CBS.* "Harts of the West" (9-10 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- And on "Harts," the guest star, playing an appealing man who drives a wedge between the series' starring couple (Beau Bridges, Harley Jane Kozak)

A divorced couple decides to give their marriage another go, with one simple rule: neither ever talks about the romantic liaisons each had while they were apart. That's the premise of UPN's comedy Second Time Around (9:30 p.m.-10 p.m., WUTB, Channel 24), and it doesn't take long to break the rule. First, Jackson (Boris Kodjoe) learns Ryan (Nicole Parker) at one point posed nude for a painting. But lest he get all holier-than-thou, Jackson has a whopper of a secret himself. Can this remarriage be saved?

Rhett and Scarlett are brought together tonight by CBS, the same network that last Sunday reunited "Cagney & Lacey" and later this month plans a wedding for the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. Here are a few re-pairs the network hasn't gotten to yet:The couple: Nick and Nora Charles. The vehicle: "The Thin Man Returns -- Again."Plot summary: Nick and Nora, having finally confronted their drinking problems, join Alcoholics Anonymous, where they learn that they're co-dependents.

"Beverly Hills, 90210," the top show with teen viewers, takes condom distribution in high schools at 9 tonight on WBFF-TV (Channel 45).The series ignited a controversy over teen sex when Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Dylan (Luke Perry) made love on prom night in an episode that aired last May."We hope this issue will stimulate discussion between children and parents about sexual behavior," Executive Producer Charles Rosin said in a statement from Fox, which did not make tonight's show available for preview.

By David Zurawik and David Zurawik,Television Critic | February 7, 1992

"Beverly Hills, 90210" started out all talky last night as it tackled the issue of condoms in the high school.And it ended all preachy with two of the actors, Jason Priestly and Gabrielle Carteris, actually stepping out of character and giving viewers a short lecture about safe sex.But, in between was a well-crafted melodrama that intelligently dealt with both sides of the issue and still managed to offer believable and engaging story lines involving several of the show's romantic couples.

O.J., schmo-J. The real news today is the return of the best sports broadcaster on network TV.* "Dateline NBC" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Challenger explosion, Jane Pauley interviews family members of several of the astronauts. They include June Scobee Rodgers, wife of Cmdr. Dick Scobee, and Grace Corrigan, mother of Christa McAuliffe. NBC.* "Beverly Hills, 90210" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- A retrospective look at the series' Top 25 moments includes glimpses at former cast members Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry.

By David Kronke and David Kronke,Special to The Sun | November 7, 1994

Biopics don't come much more generic than "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story." The only explanation for this telefilm (airing tonight at 9) is that it's NBC's pre-emptive strike to CBS' coming mini-series, "Scarlett." Anyone who can sit through this will lose complete interest in anything to do with "Gone With the Wind."Shannen Doherty (yes, that Shannen Doherty) stars as the "beautiful and impetuous" Mitchell, a spitfire from genteel Atlanta stock who delights in scandalous behavior.

With the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight. Directed by Andrew Stanton. Walt Disney Video. $29.95, Blu-ray $35.95 **** Few moviegoing experiences in recent memory are more sublime than the first half of Wall-E, an exercise in cinemagic from Pixar. This tale of an automated trash compactor, abandoned on a garbage-choked Earth with only a cockroach and a VHS tape of Hello Dolly! to keep him company, mixes childlike wonder with human frailty in a tale of love, loneliness and heroism that successfully plays to all audiences, ages 8 months to 80 years.

By David Zurawik and David Zurawik,SUN TELEVISION CRITIC | August 5, 2003

The Fox network returns to its teen roots in fine style tonight with the premiere of The O.C., a drama about adolescent desire, angst and beautiful bodies set in the upscale enclave of Newport Beach in Orange County, Calif. (The county is the O.C. to which the title refers.) While it's easy to mock the excesses of teen dramas - with their parades of hopelessly attractive characters who look 16-going-on-27 thanks to the real ages of the actors - you have to admire those who get the formula right.

By David Zurawik and David Zurawik,Sun Television Critic | May 17, 2000

Tonight's series' finale of "Beverly Hills 90210" ends on the wedding of Donna Martin (Tori Spelling) and David Silver (Brian Austin Green), with all their friends joining them for this rite of passage into adulthood. The final scene at the reception -- with Donna, David, Brandon, Dylan, Kelly, Andrea and Steve moving as one on a tightly packed dance floor -- has a truly tribal feel to it. In a cultural sense, this is a near-perfect conclusion to the 10-year, prime-time teen drama, according to Robert J. Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University and author of "Television's Second Golden Age," a look at network drama in the 1980s and '90s.

O.J., schmo-J. The real news today is the return of the best sports broadcaster on network TV.* "Dateline NBC" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Challenger explosion, Jane Pauley interviews family members of several of the astronauts. They include June Scobee Rodgers, wife of Cmdr. Dick Scobee, and Grace Corrigan, mother of Christa McAuliffe. NBC.* "Beverly Hills, 90210" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- A retrospective look at the series' Top 25 moments includes glimpses at former cast members Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry.

By Stephen Hunter and Stephen Hunter,SUN FILM CRITIC | October 20, 1995

Beyond bummer. Beyond lame. Beyond, even, the new one, "whack," whatever the hell it means. That's where Kevin Smith's "Mallrats" lives.The movie cost about 2,000 times more than his "Clerks," but it's about 1,000 times less funny. Too bad. He's on to something, and he knows what works and what doesn't. But under some obligation to go mainstream because of the money the professionals at Gramercy have given him, he lets this one simper out of control until it crashes and burns. And it's never as funny in the last hour as it is in the first half hour.

Rhett and Scarlett are brought together tonight by CBS, the same network that last Sunday reunited "Cagney & Lacey" and later this month plans a wedding for the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. Here are a few re-pairs the network hasn't gotten to yet:The couple: Nick and Nora Charles. The vehicle: "The Thin Man Returns -- Again."Plot summary: Nick and Nora, having finally confronted their drinking problems, join Alcoholics Anonymous, where they learn that they're co-dependents.

By David Kronke and David Kronke,Special to The Sun | November 7, 1994

Biopics don't come much more generic than "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story." The only explanation for this telefilm (airing tonight at 9) is that it's NBC's pre-emptive strike to CBS' coming mini-series, "Scarlett." Anyone who can sit through this will lose complete interest in anything to do with "Gone With the Wind."Shannen Doherty (yes, that Shannen Doherty) stars as the "beautiful and impetuous" Mitchell, a spitfire from genteel Atlanta stock who delights in scandalous behavior.

A divorced couple decides to give their marriage another go, with one simple rule: neither ever talks about the romantic liaisons each had while they were apart. That's the premise of UPN's comedy Second Time Around (9:30 p.m.-10 p.m., WUTB, Channel 24), and it doesn't take long to break the rule. First, Jackson (Boris Kodjoe) learns Ryan (Nicole Parker) at one point posed nude for a painting. But lest he get all holier-than-thou, Jackson has a whopper of a secret himself. Can this remarriage be saved?

By David Bianculli and David Bianculli,Special to The Sun | August 31, 1994

Turning to HBO for "Dream On" and "The Larry Sanders Show": Be there, or be bored. Elsewhere on TV, to paraphrase Jerry Lee Lewis, there's a whole lotta nothin' going on.* "The Nanny" (8-8:30 p.m., Channel 11) -- Renee Taylor guest-stars as Fran's mom on this repeat episode, which places the mother-daughter duo, and Fran's upper-crust employers, in Queens for a day. CBS.* "Beverly Hills, 90210" (8-10 p.m., Channel 45) -- I see Paris, I see France, I see Shannen leaving the show. This is a repeat of the episode in which Brenda (Shannen Doherty)

By Mark de la Vina and Mark de la Vina,Knight-Ridder News Service | October 12, 1994

While everyone else focuses on what's going to happen to actor David Caruso, the producers of the television show "NYPD Blue" have to figure out what to do with Det. John Kelly.They could get Hong Kong action director John Woo to work the season's fourth episode and have him die in a maelstrom of shrapnel while trying to stop the Zodiac killer.Or, if Steve Bochco and his writers need more inspiration, they could look at how past shows have handled the departure of important cast members:* Shannen Doherty, "Beverly Hills, 90210."

By David Bianculli and David Bianculli,Special to The Sun | September 9, 1994

Two days ago, Shannen Doherty was missing from "Beverly Hills, 90210," but tonight she makes a roaring comeback as a good girl gone bad, and on the lam, in "Jailbreakers," Showtime's newest neo-retro "Rebel Highway" made-for-tv movie. Otherwise, the night is dominated by the three Rs: reruns, reruns, reruns.* "M.A.N.T.I.S." (8 p.m.-9 p.m., Channel 45) -- Perhaps it's time to start praying, "M.A.N.T.I.S." the first episode, which premiered two weeks ago, earned a 14 share of the available audience and was third in its time slot.